The Unforgetful Return
by Animegoddess3
Summary: PG just in case parents find you reading and get immature thoughts...Well, Ranma goes off to train in Jusenkyo, and doesn't return for 2 years and shocks Akane with something big. only one chapter! please review RA


OKAY EVERYONE! THIS IS MY FIRST ONE-SHOT, SO PRAISE ME OR FLAME ME... I REALLY DON'T LIKE WRITING ROMANCE, BUT NO ONE WILL READ ANYTHING ELSE I WRITE (  
  
DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN RANMA ½ ... THE WONDERFUL RUMIKO TAKAHASHI DOES.  
  
Ranma had been gone for 2 years due to training. He'd decided that he would train to get strong enough, and then go out on a journey to Jusenkyo. He would then return home and finally be able to truly call himself a man. Ranma trained endlessly, but wanted to hurry, since he knew that someone was waiting for him back at home.  
  
**  
  
Akane waited outside everyday in the hot, cold, stormy, or humid weather for at least 2 hours a day. Kasumi had to always take her inside and assure her that Ranma was coming back home. Akane would always go inside and frown, but knew that Ranma was coming back. He was right? "Ranma no baka!" she said to herself. "Where have you gone to now?" She remembered that day when Ranma had left. She remembered it perfectly.  
  
//// Akane walked into Ranma's room and noticed him packing his bag. He didn't notice her at first, but then turned to see the confused Akane looking straight at him. Akane really didn't think anything of it. She just thought that Ranma was going off to train for a few days once again and come back with some kind of new technique. "Ranma, where are you going this time?" she asked.  
  
Ranma stood up for a second and saw that there was no hiding this from Akane. She was bound to notice if he's not home after 3 months. He remembered the last time that he was gone for an extended long time of absence and how Akane was worried sick. He decided to tell her everything. "I'm going on a training journey. I'm going to become a man again! I'm going to go to Jusenkyo," he said.  
  
"But, that's in China. You'll be gone for a long time," said Akane, bracing herself for the worst.  
  
Akane was on the verge of tears, but Ranma gently put his hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw the serious look on Ranma's face. "I know. I don't know how long I'll be gone, Akane, but I am coming back."  
  
Akane realized that she got too caught up in the moment and finally went back to her usual self. She slapped off Ranma's hand and had a mad glare on her face, covering up her true emotion. "Baka! You're so selfish! You'd be willing to be gone for a year or so, just to get your manhood back?! What's wrong with the way you are now?!" she shouted, probably not realizing half of what she was saying.  
  
Ranma's eyebrows grew low as he prepared to argue against Akane. "Stupid! I'm not just doing this for me, you know! Boy are you un-cute as ever- "Ranma stopped himself as he looked at Akane, who was looking down away from him. He saw her shoulders shaking and heard quiet sobs coming from her. "Akane..."  
  
Akane looked up at Ranma and noticed the concern look on his face. She wiped her tears and quickly put a smile right on her face. "Oh, don't worry about me. I just had something in my eye," she said. The two looked at each other for a long time as Akane kept the smile on her face. She then found herself looking straight into Ranma's eyes and found that one tear had slid down her cheek, followed by another, then another, until a whole stream of tears were coming down her face. She quickly ran over to Ranma and embraced him with a hug, holding tightly onto him. "D-don't G-g-g-go," she struggled to get out of her mouth.  
  
Ranma looked down at Akane and had his dopey, clueless, blushing look on, that always manages to find his face whenever she would give him a hug. His face expression finally changed when he saw how hard Akane was crying and knew that she rarely ever cried like this. "I'm sorry, Akane, but I have to go. I have to do this. I've let it slide far too long," he said.  
  
Akane finally let go and watched as Ranma picked up his bag and headed out the door. Goodbye, Ranma," she said quietly.\\\\  
  
Akane frowned after playing the flashback in her head and headed inside to take a bath. She sat in there while memories flooded, making her miss Ranma even more.  
  
** Ranma went over to where he set up camp to sit and rest. He too played back to memory of the day he left and kept picturing Akane in his head. "You just wait, Akane," he said, "I'll come back. And this time, I'll be man."  
  
The next morning would finally be the day that Ranma headed to Jusenkyo. He picked up his bag after he had packed up and started to walk over towards the mountains. He remembered to bring a pale in order to bring home some water for Ryoga, Mousse, and of course his dad, Genma. Once he finally made it up the mountain, Ranma saw the guide to the springs' little house, though it was somewhat tiny. He headed down the mountain and knocked on the guide's door. The guide recognized Ranma right away. "Ah, it's you, the young girl," he said.  
  
Ranma quickly hit him on the head. "Dare to try again?" he asked.  
  
"So violent," said the guide. "What you here for?"  
  
"I think you know," replied Ranma.  
  
"Ah, yes," said the guide. "You here for spring water of Drowned Man. Right this way." The guide led Ranma outside of his house and out to the springs. The guide finally led Ranma to the spring that was supposed to be of the Drowned Man. "Now, here. Here is the spring of Drowned Man."  
  
Ranma looked at the guide skeptically. "Are you sure this is the right spring?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, yes, very sure," said the guide, nodding his weird looking, giant head.  
  
"Okay then," said Ranma. He walked behind the guide and kicked him into the spring. He then waited for the guide to pop back out and was amazed by the result. "Ah! How could I have not recognized this one?" It was the spring of Drowned Girl!  
  
"Oh, it seems I have mixed it up," said the guide in a feminine voice, though you couldn't say the same for his appearance. Sure he was a woman, but a fat one at that, with the same weird looking, large head, but with eyelashes. "Then spring of Drowned Man is one over there," he/she said, pointing over to a far spring.  
  
Ranma pulled the guide over with him and went over to the spring. He then threw the guide in and waited for he/she's results. Once again, the guide was wrong. This time, he/she had turned into a koala. Ranma tried yet again another spring, which was a raccoon, followed by a snake, to a mouse, then a badger, with big teeth. They tried every single spring, until there was only one left. "That one has got to be it!" said Ranma.  
  
He quickly ran over to the spring, along with the badger guide, and quickly tossed him in. Ranma smiled to see the guide turn back into his usual self and watched him quickly climb out. "Now is your turn, sir," said the guide. Ranma nodded and first took out the pale to fill it up. He then stood up and took a one quick breath and gulp before he plunged into the spring that would change his life forever.  
  
**  
  
It was snowing, but that didn't stop Akane from waiting outside of the Tendo Dojo to wait for Ranma's return. ~ You'd think that the jerk would send a postcard or something to let me know he's alive. ~ She thought to herself. Akane sighed to herself and prepared to walk into the dojo, until she saw Genma, in his panda form, carrying a body on his back. Akane quickly ran over to the panda to see what was going one. "Mr. Saotome, what happened?!" Akane quickly asked.  
  
Genma started to write on his wooden sign, "Look who I just found, passed out by the fence."  
  
He quickly dropped the body, so Akane could see. She gasped at the sight. "Ranma! Hurry, Mr. Saotome, let's take him inside!"  
  
The panda quickly picked up Ranma and followed Akane to the inside of the Dojo. Everyone quickly followed Akane and Genma to the room, though Kasumi went to get a damp towel. Akane took the towel from Kasumi and placed it on Ranma's head. They waited for hours, but Ranma still didn't wake up. Everyone went to bed, but Akane stood by Ranma's side. She waited throughout the whole night, until morning, but Ranma still hadn't woken up. She decided to skip school that day and still waited by Ranma, not leaving him for one second. She stroked his hair a few times kept the towel on his head warm and damp. "He's just tired, that's all," Akane said to herself.  
  
She then saw Ranma shake his head, and then flutter his eyes open. He glanced over to finally see Akane looking straight into his eyes. He hadn't seen her for such a long time and was smiling at the fact that he didn't have to draw a picture of her in his head anymore. "Akane..." he trailed off slowly. He sat up and was now eyelevel with her. "So, was I gone long?" he joked.  
  
Akane's eyes sparkled as if tears were about to come out. She flung her arms over Ranma. "It's been two years! Where have you been?!" she asked him, hugging Ranma tightly.  
  
"Well, one year I was off training to get stronger, and then I went to Jusenkyo to fully become a man again," said Ranma.  
  
"Then how do you explain the other year then?" Akane asked.  
  
"I was saving up for this," Ranma replied. He brought out a small box and handed it to Akane. "I know it's not the biggest in the world, but I still needed to buy food and all that stuff."  
  
Akane opened the box and saw a diamond ring laying neatly in it, looking like it was about her size. She then grabbed Ranma by the collar and gave him a serious look. "Are you saying that you're proposing to me?!" she exclaimed.  
  
Ranma blushed and scratched his cheek. "Well, um, yeah," he said, "Listen, it's okay if you say no and all, but I thought that once I became a man again, it would be the perfect opportunity." Akane took Ranma's hand and slipped the box onto it. "I understand," he said with a frown.  
  
"Baka," Akane said with a smile, "I just want you to put it on for me."  
  
Ranma's frown quickly turned upside down as he took the ring out of the box and quickly placed it on Akane's finger. He then grabbed her waist and embraced her with a hug. "So, I guess this is a 'Yes' then, right?" he asked. Akane smiled and returned the hug.  
  
**  
  
OKAY...I KNOW THAT WAS SHORT, BUT DID YOU LIKE IT? PLEASE REVIEW! AND LIKE I SAID, THIS IS MY FIRST ONE-SHOT, SO PRAISE ME OR FLAME ME ^_~ 


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